Sosua

German Jews settled this little pueblo in the early 1940s. Many streets are named for Ashkenazic Jews.

Sosua is located in the northern Cibao valley and Atlantic coast, characterized by the vibrant Cibao valley with Atlantic beach towns. The area offers visitors a glimpse of authentic Dominican life away from the major resort corridors.

By Plane

Most visitors will fly in to Puerto Plata' s airport ( POP   IATA ). Before going through immigration, you'll have to purchase a "tourist card" for US$10 (think of it as a tourist tax). When leaving the airport you'll immediately be greeted by vendors, money changers and taxi drivers. Since everything is much more expensive at the airport, neither change money nor buy anything.

The taxi fare for the 10-minute ride from the airport is fixed at US$25 per car with little to no room for negotiation. If you already booked your accommodation, ask them for a transport to save a few dollars.

If you arrive at Santiago , Santo Domingo or Punta Cana , you'll have to take a bus to Sosua since there are no domestic flights within the Dominican Republic.

By bus

Caribe Tours buses leave every full hour from Santo Domingo, via Santiago and Puerto Plata to Sosua. They stop along the way in all the major cities and towns (about 5 stops). Buses are comfortable, modern, air conditioned (usually turned up to arctic levels) and have a restroom (though usually without toilet paper - bring your own!) The trip takes about 5 hours and costs RD$550 (as of March 2026) for a one-way ticket. Motoconchos and taxis wait at the bus station to bring you to your accommodation, although you can easily walk 10-15 minutes up the highway into town. There is a sidewalk all the way. A motoconcho into the center of town should be between 50-100 pesos.

By Car / Road

Caribe Tours buses leave every full hour from Santo Domingo, via Santiago and Puerto Plata to Sosua. They stop along the way in all the major cities and towns (about 5 stops). Buses are comfortable, modern, air conditioned (usually turned up to arctic levels) and have a restroom (though usually without toilet paper - bring your own!) The trip takes about 5 hours and costs RD$550 (as of March 2026) for a one-way ticket. Motoconchos and taxis wait at the bus station to bring you to your accommodation, although you can easily walk 10-15 minutes up the highway into town. There is a sidewalk all the way. A motoconcho into the center of town should be between 50-100 pesos.

By car

From Santo Domingo's airport, either turn left into Santo Domingo and follow the road until just until after the elevated express way ends, turn right towards John F. Kennedy Avenue (follow the sign), turn left on John F. Kennedy Avenue and stay on that road for about 3 to 4 hours until you reach Puerto Plata. In Puerto Plata just keep going until you see the first road signs to Sosua.

Alternatively, just when leaving the airport turn right towards La Romana, Bahia and Punta Cana. After a few kilometers take the exit towards Samana (beware, it is on the left side of the road - you go down a ramp and through a tunnel!) and then take the toll-road to Samana for about 2 hours until you reach the point where you either go to the right towards Samana or left towards Nagua, Rio San Juan, Puerto Plata. The overall toll is about RD$420 for a small car - obey the speed limits there, they regularly set up speed traps because the road makes you want to go much faster. In Nagua turn right towards 4 o'clock at the traffic lights where you have to choose between right and left again. Keep on going for another 2 hours through the aforementioned towns (sanity check: water should be to your right!) Nagua itself can be tricky to navigate, if in doubt, ask a local for directions to Puerto Plata.

From Punta Cana you first have to go to Santo Domingo, thus the same two options listed above apply.

From Santa Barbara de Samana take the road towards Santo Domingo until you see signs for Nagua, then follow those. See above for how to proceed from there.

The town is relatively small and walkable. You can also get around using the motoconcho , where you are basically hitching a ride on the back of someone's motorcycle. The price within the El Batey area of Sosua is RD$20 during the day and RD$40 at night, though you will certainly be quoted more if you ask them firsthand. Simply tell the driver where you want to go, hop on, and hand the driver the exact fare when you arrive at your destination and walk away. The motoconcho drivers are everywhere and will actively solicit you for a ride. Do not hop a concho while you are inebriated.

The cheapest way to move between Sosua and the surrounding cities and towns of Puerto Plata , Cabarete and Rio San Juan , as well as the tourist resorts in between, is by guagua (Caribbean Spanish slang for bus), which are small mini-vans operating on the main highway between Puerto Plata and Rio San Juan. At peak hours they pass every five or ten minutes. Short distances (i.e., Sosua to Cabarete ) should cost no more than RD$20 to Cabarete, to RD$30 to Puerto Plata. They will pack in up to 25 people per mini-van (this is not an exaggeration!), with passengers almost in each other's laps. Watch your wallet! You may even have someone's cage of roosters deposited on you lap. Then the merengue starts up on the radio and half the passengers pitch in, singing from memory.

Tourist taxis are plentiful but expensive when compared to the other modes of transportation in Sosua. As of March 2009, tourist taxi from Caribe Tours bus station to El Batey run RD$150. A taxi from Sosua to Puerto Plata airport will charge US$25 for the car. Many taxi drivers will attempt quote US$25 per person, so be aware. Note that it is possible to get a ride for as low as US$10, however, you must #1 dress the part #2 speak good Spanish. Leave your luggage at your place of stay, and go out dressed like a local (shirtless & sandals) towards the taxi hub. Ask around where for the taxi meeting point . After a few minutes of asking around, a local with a car will eventually ask you where you want to go. Say you want to go to the airport, and that you will pay US$10. Most locals will think this is a good price and take you in their private pickup/car. Included in this price is the 1-3 block drive to your place of stay (to pick up your luggage). Give them the money once at the airport. This is a little more difficult to do with legitimate taxis at the taxi hub.

The taxi ride from the airport to almost any point in Sosua is less than 10 minutes. You will pay about US$15 from Sosua to Cabarete but this is a complete ripoff when the guagua runs through town and charges RD$20 pesos per person. Guaguas and publicos run through the main roads. You have to flag them down so they will stop for you.

Car rentals may be had locally and if you prefer to deal with the international chains, stop by the Puerto Plata airport. An economy car may be rented for US$30 per day. Check with your credit card company first to see what coverage they provide because this price is not inclusive of insurance. Local insurance is expensive so most simply rely on the coverage provided by their credit card.

You may also simply take guaguas which are the carro publicos along the main road which are affordable and overcrowded. For instance a taxi between Sosua and Cabarete from the official stop will cost upwards of US$20 while a guagua will cost about US$1.50. Similarly you can get to the airport for US$30 from a taxi at one of the stops which has set fares or take the carro publico for less than US$2.

Propinas

Before you venture out on your own, or even with a group of people, be aware of men or boys who are looking to help you find what you need. While walking you will be approached with offers of help with changing your money, finding a restaurant or finding a nice bar or gift shop. On the beach you will be offered assistance with getting a lounge chair or having a drink or food from one of the many beach stalls fetched for you.

In the vast majority of cases these folks are harmless and can be a wealth of information. If you decide to use their services you will be charged a small fee above the asking rate for any item you purchase, eat or drink, and that fee will be passed to your helper after services are rendered. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Sosuans are accomplished capitalists and they also are a lot less well off than you! If you already know exactly what you want and a "tag-along" Sosuan is starting a conversation with you while you are walking along, be firm in telling him that you need no help! If you are first timer offer the propina man a small fee up front for an hour or for the day and he will become a wealth of information for you.

Playa Sosua is the town's main beach. It is a fun, colorful and lively beach which is approximately one kilometer long, with a row of shacks along the back, selling food, drinks and souvenirs. At one end of the beach is the El Batey neighborhood, which was founded by a community of about 600 Jews exiled here from Eastern Europe during World War II. It contains the small synagogue, still occasionally used by Jews from the surrounding communities, as well as a small museum documenting the history of the Jewish community in Sosua, both set in a tidy tropical green lawn adjacent to Casa Marina Resort. The synagogue has services on Friday evenings about once per month - check with the museum whether there are services the week you are there. Batey no longer has an active Jewish community; it is now the tourist section of town, containing several all-inclusive resorts, as well as a number of smaller hotels and guest houses.

At the other end of the beach is Los Charamicos, which is the locals' neighborhood and somewhat more run-down and lively than Batey. For an authentic cockfighting experience go to Club Gallistico, in Charamicos. It is along one of the main streets but you will have to ask for directions. Cockfights are on Saturday afternoons and sometimes on other days of the week. It is best not to venture alone into the alleyways of Charamicos as they are unsafe. The main streets are OK during daytime but care should be taken at night.

The beach is very popular and offers the best local option for the snorkeling enthusiast - snorkelers should swim out to the reef that lies about 100 m from the shore. A beach chair rental should cost about RD$60. Refuse to pay any more. Equipment can also be rented there. There are lots of gift shops where you will be quoted absolutely laughable prices (see the "Buy" section below).

There are two other beaches in town.
Playa Alicia is accessible from the On the Waterfront restaurant. This beach is quieter and more sterile than Playa Sosua, and is thus a good option for those who want to trade a bit of local color for a more relaxed experience. The town's third and smallest beach is accessible from the Sosua by the Sea hotel.

not , under any circumstances, use a propina man for money changing. Money changing operations are well signed and easy to find.

Dominican cuisine centers on rice, beans, plantains, and meat. Local comedores (casual eateries) serve the daily la bandera (the flag) — rice, red beans, and stewed chicken or beef — for around RD$150–250. Fried fish is common near coastal areas. Fresh tropical fruits including mango, papaya, and guava are available from street vendors and markets. For a wider selection of restaurants, Santiago de los Caballeros offers more options.

Dominican rum (Brugal, Barceló, and Bermúdez are the big three) is widely available and inexpensive. Presidente beer is the national lager, served ice-cold. Fresh fruit juices (jugos naturales) made from passion fruit, guava, or orange are refreshing in the tropical heat. Tap water is not potable — drink bottled water only. Local bars (colmados) double as community gathering spots.

• Budget: Small guesthouses and hospedajes offer rooms for US$15–30 per night, with basic amenities and fan cooling.
• Mid-range: Hotels in the area typically charge US$40–80 per night for air-conditioned rooms with private bathrooms and Wi-Fi.
• Upscale: For upscale resorts and boutique properties, consider staying in nearby Santiago de los Caballeros or the coast and visiting Sosua as a day trip.

Local markets offer fresh produce, Dominican coffee, rum, and handmade crafts. Supermarkets and colmados (small corner stores) stock daily essentials. For larger shopping needs, head to Santiago de los Caballeros. ATMs are available but may have limited cash — bring Dominican pesos (RD$) for small purchases.

• Santiago de los Caballeros — The regional capital and largest city, offering more dining, shopping, and accommodation options.
• Puerto Plata — The historic Atlantic coast city with the Teleférico cable car, Fortaleza San Felipe, and Playa Dorada (2–3 hours).
• Santo Domingo — The capital city with the UNESCO-listed Colonial Zone, the first cathedral and hospital in the Americas (3–4 hours).